Account of a Tour in Normandy, Volume 2 eBook

poet. Meanwhile, M. Dubois still continues his
researches among the foundations of the ancient city,
from which he has collected a number of valuable relics.
Some of the most pleasant and instructive hours of
my tour have been spent in his society; and, whilst
it was under his guidance that I visited the antiquities
of Lisieux, his learning assisted me in illustrating
them. M. Dubois likewise possesses a large collection
of original autograph letters, which I found much
pleasure in perusing.

During the reign of Napoleon, he held the office of
librarian of Alencon, a situation that afforded him
the opportunity of meeting with many literary curiosities
of this nature. Among others, which thus fell
into his hands, was the following letter, written by
the Princess Borghese, sister to the Emperor, and
addressed to the Empress Marie-Louise, by whom it
was received, while on a tour through the western
departments. I annex a transcript of this epistle;
for, although it has no immediate connection with
the main subject of our correspondence, it yet is
a very singular contribution towards the private history
of the dynasty of Napoleon.—­The odd mixture
of caudle-cup compliment and courtly flattery, is
sufficiently amusing. I have copied it, word
for word, letter for letter, and point for point;
for, as we have no other specimen of the epistles of
her imperial highness, I think it right to preserve
all the peculiarities of the original; and, by, way
of a treat for the collectors of autographs, I have
added a fac-simile of her signature.